


Every moment that's passed (since the miracle of meeting you)

by Omegatits



Series: The Stars that Light Up the Dark [1]
Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Anxiety, Belly Bulging, Belly Kink, Belly Rubs, Coming Untouched, Dragon!Byeongkwan, Hemipenis, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Multi, Nipple Play, Nipple lasso, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince!Yuchan, Sacrifice!Sehyoon, Virgin!Sehyoon, described anxiety, dragon dick, numb feelings, raised sacrifice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:28:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26692216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omegatits/pseuds/Omegatits
Summary: The day would come - he’d been prepared for it most of his childhood. Someone would be looking for a tool - knowledge… a child easy to meld and shape into what they’d want from him. His mother prepared him for it and explained it brought honour and praise to them and their family. Now honour, at Sehyoon’s young age, didn’t matter much to him. The looks of pride and joy on his parent’s faces had been what he’d longed for. Worked hard for.“He’ll be taught more and spend his time entirely devoted to studying them further. If a sacrifice is not requested then he’ll be offered a place among us on the council as an advisor. It would be a blessing for your family nonetheless.”
Relationships: Kang Yuchan | Chan/Kim Byeongkwan/Kim Sehyoon | Wow, Kang Yuchan | Chan/Kim Sehyoon | Wow, Kim Byeongkwan/Kim Sehyoon | Wow
Series: The Stars that Light Up the Dark [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977754
Comments: 13
Kudos: 63
Collections: The Stars that Light Up the Dark





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elutherya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elutherya/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Same Path (Under The Moonlit Sky)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26419126) by [elutherya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elutherya/pseuds/elutherya). 



> This is part of a collab series with [ elutherya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elutherya/pseuds/elutherya), and a series I love sooo much. Thank you Rene for being so willing to listen to my barrage of random ideas I'm always throwing at you. I'm so glad this is something we've been able to work on together, and I'm so excited for everything to come in the future~

Sehyoon had been raised in the quiet countryside on an orchard maintained by his father and adored and doted on by his mother. Kept from the cities and hustle and bustle of the country's kingdom, Sehyoon was raised free and happy.

Dragons were always on his mind. His mother was known for her knowledge on the beasts, and always regarded as an asset to the Kingdom and Council. Everything he knew he’d learned from her, just as she’d learned from her mother, and her mother from her grandmother. As the first born, he’d been taught young how to maintain the orchard as well as study the beasts. 

The day would come - he’d been prepared for it most of his childhood. Someone would be looking for a tool - knowledge… a child easy to meld and shape into what they’d want from him. His mother prepared him for it and explained it brought honour and praise to them and their family. Now honour, at Sehyoon’s young age, didn’t matter much to him. The looks of pride and joy on his parent’s faces had been what he’d longed for. Worked hard for. 

The man was stuffy, held an air about him that felt unamused with the antics of children, and even less thrilled with the thought that he’d been the one sent to fetch the council’s latest tool. “He’ll be taught more and spend his time entirely devoted to studying them further. If a sacrifice is not requested then he’ll be offered a place among us on the council as an advisor. It would be a blessing for your family nonetheless.” 

Though he’d known the day would come, his parents still hesitated. An irony considering their position in preparing him for the day. 

“Your family will be taken care of as well. Anything you should need the Council, and Kingdom, will be eager to supply. You would be doing all of us a great favour.”

His parents spoke in whispers that night. Nothing Sehyoon could make out definitively, and nothing he understood the meaning behind. But the next morning the man had returned looking for an answer and Sehyoon’s things had been packed. His mother held him tight and kissed his cheeks for several minutes. His father tousled his hair and told him, “Work hard and make us proud, got it?”

It took them a full day and nights worth of travel. Sehyoon saw parts of the countryside he’d never seen before, and was told by the driver of their carriage what to expect of the city. But, even with the stories of what to expect, nothing truly prepared him for the sight.

People of all different ages, sizes, types lined the streets. They passed several stalls selling food or goods, people shouting from them with the hopes to gain attention. Even as early in the morning as it was, the sun barely rising over the mountain surrounding them, the city was awake and full of life. 

As they rode deeper into the city the buildings changed to homes, all built in similar fashions and decorated with symbols of individuality that separated each home from their neighbors. A few people were out in these spaces, the noise from the inner section of the city faded as people exited their homes with sleep still heavy on their features.

The carriage brought them to the outer walls of the palace. The front gates exposed only the front gardens and kept the rest hidden from clear sight.

"State your business." A guard manning the front gate requested. The man who'd travelled with Sehyoon handed over a folded letter.

"We've brought back the boy. He needs to be introduced to the council," he explained as the guard read over the parchment. Briefly his eyes lingered over Sehyoon who sat quietly in the carriage, and then waved them through. 

As they passed the gates opened up to reveal a vast palace. Larger than any building Sehyoon had ever seen, including the ones he’d seen in the last 24 hours. The grounds were decorated with various trees and bushes blooming into beautiful reds and pinks. Groupings of flowers were scattered in various spots between the green grass and paths of dirt carefully placed around the grounds.

“Will I be staying here?” He asked the man.

He was met first with laughter, and then a tussle of his hair. Neither a real answer to his question. “Unlikely boy. There’s really no need for another child running around here. The attendants have enough trouble keeping the young prince in line. You’ll just be in the way.”

For the remainder of the short ride up to the wide, open front entrance to the palace Sehyoon kept his mouth shut. Nothing was worth getting in trouble for, even if the man had mostly considered his question a joke - rather than something to actually reprimand Sehyoon for. If all the adults were going to be regarding him in similar ways, there was no point in speaking up. 

Once the carriage stopped Sehyoon was ushered out with the help of an attendant holding his hand. She smiled down at him, but made no effort to speak to him. 

“Ah! How was your trip, Sungmin?” A gentleman dressed in a neatly kept brown and green Hanbok approached, arms out to great the man Sehyoon had rode in with. 

The man opened his arms back and both men embraced briefly. It seemed out of character for how stuffy Sungmin had been the ride in. But, perhaps that was simply a sign of how uncomfortable he’d been around the boy… “Junsuh. It was uneventful, mostly. But I’m glad to be back.” 

“I can imagine.” 

Both men led the group into the palace, and Sehyoon walked behind them, hand in hand with the attendant. 

“He’s awful quiet.”

“Yes, he didn’t speak much the whole ride either.”

Junsuh’s laugh was loud. “Bet that’s a pleasant change from the young Prince.”

“Drastic one.”

The four walked through several halls, guided to another set of large screen doors. Behind them Sehyoon heard laughter, and loud conversation. None of the talk made much sense to him, and when they entered it died down before he could piece anything of significance together. 

“Sungmin. Welcome back, welcome back,” Cheered a man, lifting a small glass towards them before knocking it back. 

Sunngmin quickly walked towards the gathered group of drinking men - arms outstretched for head shakes and hugs. He smiled before responding, “Thank you. I’m pleased to be back. I’m not made for such extended travel.”

“You and your back. If I have to hear one more rant about your age -” The large room erupted in laughter again - leaving Sehoon squeezing the attendant’s hand. Watching them cheerfully interact with each other felt.. wrong. Like a trick. He’d spent the last two days with the man named Sungmin, and not once had he been looked at with more than annoyance. Here, with who he assumed to be the rest of the council, Sehyoon felt like a black stain on a colourful tapestry. 

Once the chatter settled down again, the man who’d originally greeted them gestured towards Sehyoon. “Ahh, I see you’ve brought a child back. That’s good news.”

“I thought she had a daughter?” Another asked. 

Sungmin sat down and poured himself a small glass of clear liquor. “She does,” He explained, “but Sehyoon here is better versed in the beasts. His mother says he’s fascinated with them. The daughter is less so.”

Junsuh, the man who met them outside, sighed, “Suppose it won’t matter much in the end,” before knocking back his own glass.

“Well, Sehyoon. You’ve been awfully quiet since you walked in here.”

Under their heavy gaze Sehyoon bowed with his arms straight at his sides. “I’m Kim Sehyoon. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

This seemed enough for the councilmen, who mostly all turned away to return to their one quiet discussions. Except the one who’d called him out. He eyed the boy in silence for a moment, looking for something. Sehyoon couldn’t guess what, though. “What a good boy. You have some manners.”

“Unlike Yuchan.” The room erupted again. 

“Do you know why you’re here?” He was asked.

“To study dragons… Sir.” He worried the hem of his cotton shirt between his fingers - twisted and pulled at the threads he felt. Still, his eyes never left the Councilman’s. 

“And are you ready to dedicate your whole life to them?” Not that he’d been given much of a choice on the matter. However, the promise of making his parents proud and bringing them honour felt like it was worth it. It had to be. 

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good boy.” The man pointed a finger to the attendant holding his hand and waved it towards the door. “You can remove him now. Take him to his new home if you would?”

Quickly Sehyoon was ushered through the halls they’d just come from and back out to the front where the carriage sat waiting for them. The attendant helped him back into the carriage and then crawled in beside him. 

As they left the vast palace grounds, Sehyoon spotted a boy. Draped and swimming in white robes, the bottom stained brown from the dirt he kicked up while running in circles around a ball. He looked happy. Carefree.

“Is that the prince?”

The attendant looked out to where Sehyoon was watching the boy stomp through a few flowers. She sighed, and Sehyoon looked at her. Though the noise he’d associated with a distaste, she didn’t look displeased with the sight. Rather she was trying to hide a little smile as she watched him from afar. “That it is,” she chuckled. 

Sehyoon turned back and watched the prince until he was out of sight. Perhaps, if allowed, one day they could be friends… 

  
  
  


His estate was small and kept fairly isolated from the bulk of the city and main housing district - built further into the mountain side and closer to the palace. He lived with a tutor. She was a firm woman that encouraged him to study as much as he could. However, she held a soft spot for him that he saw when she’d tuck him into bed or cook for him. 

When he wasn’t busy studying, Sehyoon spent his time in the little square courtyard his new home was built around. As much as he could, Sehyoon spent time outside tending to the fish in the small pond and the trees and bushes decorating the tight space. 

His tutor, when the weather permitted, allowed him to join her during grocer trips. He learned about the city life, the people there, and the social rules expected of the citizens. Yet it didn’t make him feel any more a part of them. He was still the country boy brought from his family and home to a place that only needed - wanted him for his knowledge. As he grew older, his interest in seeing the bustle outside his estate decreased and he dove deeper into his studies.

The discussion of sacrifices did not return until he was 15 - spurred on by a letter from his mother. However, by then he was familiar with the topic. Plenty of stories and art depicted the act. Most were tales of erotic ecstacy written to occupy housewives and working women. Those tales kept him up sweating at night - attempting to keep quiet in fear of being caught with the desires they spurred within him. Others were less… exciting. Stories of men and women being eaten, a blood sacrifice for good will and a testament to the people’s hopes for blessing. 

Still, it prepared him for the years following where the possibility was never far from his mind. Anything was valuable knowledge for Sehyoon, even if the line of fantasy and reality was unclear in some. 

“When it comes - which you still have many years to prepare for - if he so wishes, you’ll be offered to the beast.” Again honour was promised to him and his family. It was always honour… 

He was warned of the Dragon’s arrival a month before. They’d given him an invitation to visit their kingdom with the hopes of earning his blessing and being bestowed good fortune and strength in the coming years. The council advised him they’d do their best to offer as much as they could to the beast before his life was given up. 

He busied his mind with housework. Reading made him nauseous with the reminder that this was what he’d spent 10 years preparing for. His head spun when he thought of the possibility that his life was on the line.

“I thought you said you had other offers for him?” his tutor questioned. Sehyoon sat in silence beside the woman. He’d learned many years before when his voice was wanted, and this was not the place for it. Though it wasn’t like he could even if he wanted too. The second the man had entered their home Sehoon’s whole body felt like it was being dragged into the earth.

The councilman grumbled, “He is displeased with them. Feels we are wasting his time. Sehyoon is all we have left, and he is willing to accept him.” 

He spent the night nauseous and trembling. His tutor did her best to comfort him with  _ ‘maybe’s _ and  _ ‘what if’s  _ but nothing settled the dread of uncertainty. Before then it had all felt like such a far concern - nothing he needed to worry himself with. 

  
  


For only the second time Sehyoon was ushered into the palace grounds. The sun still rested below the palace walls, leaving the morning dew fresh. 

At the hands of people he’d never met, Sehyoon was stripped of his clothing. Hands scrubbed the dirt from his back until his skin felt raw. Fingers combed through his long black hair and cut through the thick locks with expert grace. Make-up - something pale mixed with dark blues - was plastered over his face. It felt itchy, and his eyes watered with every close swipe of powder near his eyes. It was then completed with glittering stones glued to his cheeks and just under his eyes. 

Once cleaned, hands returned to his naked form with the comfort of silk, dark blue to match the makeup on his face. Layers and layers were draped over him, and sashes tied between each piece on him. Jewelry followed. Thick bangles around his wrists, heavy hoops in his ears, and rings on nearly every finger. By the end he didn’t recognize himself when shown a mirror.

Though people spoke around him while he was dressed - words of mostly concern - Sehyoon never spoke up. The energy of anxiety weighing in every room he was moved through only turned his stomach on itself. If he were to speak he could make no promise of keeping down his stomach. 

He was rushed through the halls of a palace he’d seen only once before and into a vast hall. Councilmen and attendants littered the room and filled it with the same anxious energy he’d felt in the rooms prior. 

None of this made him feel confident in the outcome… 

The attendants with him guided him to his seat, fluffed his hair once more, and then stepped back leaving Sehyoon feeling exposed in a room of strangers. The low whispers around him as the strangers took in his appearance brought doubt, and Sehyoon dropped his gaze to his hands twisting in the silks settled in his lap. Was he what they’d hope for? Had he been a mistake 10 years in the making? 

"We cannot doubt our choice." Sehyoon flinched at the words, jaw tense. Perhaps it was not him they have no faith in. Perhaps it was just the situation in general. No matter how he thought to spin the tone of those words, it stung just the same. Even with all he'd done - everything he’d sacrificed already - to some his presence did nothing to quell their doubts.

As the doors were slid open, Sehyoon lost feeling in his fingers. 

The dragon was none of what he’d expected. Though stories told of their human forms being convincing and deceiving, this one was still so dragon in nature. Even from a distance, he could make out the rounded horns barely hidden in the sandy waves of hair. They were nothing menacing - sharp and twisted with age like he’d expected. 

The dragon’s eyes, locked on the councilmen and prince standing far from Sehyoon, brought his attention in next. The colours in them moved and swirled as if alive and pumped with energy. Red settled in them as the dragon spoke, “This is your remaining chance.” His voice was firm, and the councilman in front him bowed deep before stepping away.

A hand slid behind Sehyoon and gripped tightly at the back of his arm. He tensed only a moment before standing up from the spot he’d been seated. As he’s lead by his elbow forward toward the dragon, Sehyoon’s legs felt light and numb, but they still carried him strong. He prayed the silks he was wrapped in hide the vibrating of his body as he stood under the red eyes studying every part of him.

“No one in the kingdom has more knowledge on your kin than the Kim’s. Sehyoon has been studying everything his family had to offer since he was a child, his mother passing down her knowledge. He’s been living within the city for years, continuing his studies,” a councilman explained as the dragon stepped into Sehyoon’s space.

Within his space, Sehyoon could see the sheen of his skin under the natural light spilling in the hall. It looked human, stretched around bone and flesh like a human’s, but the way red pulsed with each tense of the man’s jaw - the twist of his neck as the light in the room hits his skin different - was anything but. He was unmistakably different - pure magic barely contained in the human like vessel he’d taken.

“Has he now?” The dragon’s voice was so gentle. A stark difference in the annoyed tone he’d regarded the councilmen in before. And then he stepped in closer.

Sehyoon sucked in a breath. The dragon raised his hand up and cradled Sehyoon’s chin in his palm. His skin was soft and hot. The touch of magic thrumming in Sehyoon’s jaw sent electricity through him and left him choking on a noise. 

“What’s your name?” The dragon asked next. 

His voice cracked and barely rose over a whisper. “Sehyoon.”

The dragon purred, flashed a hint of his rows of sharp teeth, and then released his chin. “Sehyoon, I’m Byeongkwan.” 

Byeongkwan… The name sounded so… human.

Byeongkwan stepped away from Sehyoon, turning away from him entirely. 

“I accept your offer,” he announced, and then promptly exited the room, uninterested in any further discussion. 

Before Sehyoon’s feet fell from under him, a hand was at his back and another gripped his arm. One of the attendants from early had been quick to sneak in by his side and helped usher him from the room. At his other side one of the councilmen walked with them out to the halls. 

He’d been accepted… Yet the comfort that brought still left him with an aching in his chest. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He’d spent years preparing for it - knew it since childhood. He’d be useful to someone. None of it meant anything to him now.

He’d spent years preparing for it - knew it since childhood. He’d be useful to someone. None of it meant anything to him now. The years of study felt like a shadow lingering over him - weighing him down with all the various possibilities of what Byeongkwan could do.

No... would. It was would now. 

“You’ve done a great thing for the people,” Junsuh whispers, likely keeping his voice down to prevent wandering ears… Or Byeongkwan from hearing. 

Sehyoon found no energy in him to protest or accept the comment. His feet were carrying him forward, but his mind was static from the panic. 

“We’ll feed you, allow you a moment to rest, and then attendants will help you prepare for this evening.” 

Prepare… Nothing could prepare him. He’d once thought that he could. Once believed knowledge would be enough for him to face this head on.

The silence was heavy. Clearing his throat, Junsuh cut through it to ease the tension between them. Sehyoon had no voice to speak up with. 

They left him in a new room. The palace was vast, and not a single room that’d he’d been brought to was seen a second time. This one was no different. Junsuh left Sehyoon with the attendant in silence, finding nothing else to offer or say. Likely Junsuh realized nothing he said would be helpful to Sehyoon now that his fate was sealed. 

“Thank you,” The attendant spoke up quietly as she gently pulls each ring from Sehyoon’s fingers. Her touch is light, and nothing grounding. 

“Hm?” Sehyoon asks, unsure of what he was being thanked for. 

A smile grew on her lips, faint but hopeful. She reached for the hoops hanging heavy with decorative knots in Sehyoon’s ears next. “He accepted the offer. Which means we’ll be safe. It’s thanks to you.”

“Oh.” Sehyoon closes his eyes. 

“Is that a bad thing?” She asks quickly.

“No,” Sehyoon mumbles, but even to himself it doesn’t sound convincing. “I’m… Glad to be able to provide.”

“You’re blessing the whole kingdom. Keeping us all safe. Your life means more than anyone’s.”

Then why were they giving it away so easily. 

  
He’s kept in the blue silk hanbok and robes, though the jewelry and make-up that had been placed carefully to catch Byeongkwan eye, was long removed. Nothing he was actually going to have the pleasure of wearing again. An array of trays full of fruits, meats, cheeses, were laid out for him to pick from. “Eat your fill, You’ve earned it,” He’d been told. “It’ll be your last meal,” was what it meant. 

His stomach twists in knots that made even the thought of eating feel like a chore. But… It could be his last. Alone in the room his only thoughts were his own. and every single one of them feels like water being poured over him while stones sat on his chest, keeping him under. 

As his fingers ghost over a slab of raw thinly cut meat, Sehyoon remembers a poem his mother sang to him as a child. A story of a boy that took too much fruit and made himself sick from eating it all at once. As a kid it reminded him to do things in moderation, too much good could be painful. It felt relatable in this moment. 

His eagerness for knowledge and pride had ended up bringing him sickness.

Alone, his voice is still weak. But, he sang the notes as best he could, as quietly as he could. He sang it over, and over and over, until his voice cracked, and the emotions he was holding so tightly inside cracked with it. 

The tears were hot. And once they started falling, Sehyoon couldn’t stop them. His sobbing - sucking in air as best he could, when he could - was the only thing that filled the empty space surrounding him. 

Weakly, he slumps over the table he was kneeling at. Wraps his arms around his face and cries into the darkness made humid by his tears and hot breath.

When they return, his eyes are swollen red, but he is no longer crying. The attendants, if they put together what had happened in his time alone, say nothing to him about it. And, he makes no attempt to hide what he’d done. 

At this moment, there is no reason to hide himself. They won’t have him to worry about after he’s delivered to Byeongkwan’s room. 

They bring him to a bathroom where a tub is full, and steam rises quickly from the surface. “We’ll leave the robes for you to wear right here,” one attendant explains before both take their leave.

He stands before the tub, and tries to process his next steps. But he’s tired more than anything. 

Why does a bath now matter? Was it all there to make him feel comforted before being taken far from any real comforts he was familiar with? 

His legs feel numb. Hands tingle as he unties the sash around his middle. The robe slides off his shoulders smoothly, but it does nothing to make him feel lighter. As he removes each layer, he finds none of it helps. 

The heat soaking into his legs as he sinks into the water does something to ground him - reminds him that he can in fact feel. But it is a surface level feeling, and does nothing to actually clear the static in his head. 

And then there is a noise. 

A door opening. 

Sehyoon suspects it’s an attendant returning to remind him of something, or provide him with something. So, he doesn’t bother turning around to face them. They’ve done nothing for him.

He continues his bath in silence, dragging handfuls of water over his shoulders, chest, and through his hair. It was the first chance he’s had to touch it since razors were drug through the strands he’d let grow for years. Had he the energy, he may have cried again, but he had no energy left. 

Finishing, He grabs the towel draped over the edge of the tub, and wraps himself loosely in it. His eyes fall on the attendant seated silently next to his robes. Except it’s not an attendant. 

“Your highness?”

He had only had a chance to look at the other man during their gathering that morning. Thinking about it now, it felt like it had been years since that morning. But he looks stunning. 

They share a brief moment of locked eyes before the Prince is looking away from him and scrambling to offer his discarded blue robes to him once again. Not the red ones he’d been instructed to wear. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your bath, but I had to see you before they took you to the dragon.”

He takes them and shuffles quickly to cloth himself before clearing his throat. “H-how- Ehm.. How can I help you?” It’s the first time his voice doesn’t sound like he’s on the verge of breaking like a cracked mirror. Perhaps it was because he was already broken…  
  
When Yuchan turns back around to face him, Sehyooon bows deeply. He’s supposed to do that, right?

“Please, you-” Yuchan squeaks, or chokes on the words. Sehyoon looks up to the Prince and he continues, “You don’t need to bow to me. I’m only here to discuss the… The sacrifice tonight.” 

Of course he was. It was all anyone was there to see him for. He stands upright, but respect still keeps his eyes low. He fidgets with the robe, unsure of what to do with his hands as he ponders what this talk will lead too. “What do you need to discuss with me about the sacrifice? I’ve already got the robes, is there more?” He prays not. If they still expected more from him, Sehyoon wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold himself together. 

“I don’t…” The Prince starts, and Sehyoon briefly glances to his face. It shows uncertainty… “I don’t like the thought that you were never given a say in this. That just because of your family name, you were never given a choice. That all you’ve ever been old is that you were meant to be a sacrifice…” He trails off, and Sehyoon’s throat feels tight. Yuchan begins fidgeting, much like himself, before continuing, “I can’t ask you to do something for the kingdom that I wouldn’t do first.”

What… What does that mean? It sounds like the Prince is suggesting to do something they’d both surely regret in the future. But before Sehyoon can ask for clarification, because he knows he must be misunderstanding, Yuchan speaks again. “I want to request to trade spots with you.”

Sehyoon is quiet for a moment, shocked that the Prince had made such a suggestion. His first instinct was to accept. Escape, run away from all of this. But, he stuffs that deep inside. “Highness, I’m fully prepared.” A lie. “ You’ve no idea what to expect with the beast. And, if the people were to lose you…” He could bear to live with that guilt. The people adored their Prince. He was someone they all looked to for support and confidence. Something he needed now more than anything. 

He needed that bravery from the Prince. That things would all turn out okay. 

“Lose what? A figurehead who hasn’t been allowed to make a decision to help my own people since I was crowned.” Sehyoon can hear the bitterness in his laugh, and it brings no comfort with it. only understanding that Yuchan was just like him. A tool melded by hands of people far more powerful than either of them. His little shrug cements the confirmation. “I don’t know what to expect, none of us do, but it could also be a chance to talk to him. Maybe find an ally in overturning things. A small chance, but one I’m willing to take.” 

“If… I step back, the council will have both our heads. Especially if he ends up upset. He is expecting me, not you…” And the taste of freedom is tempting, that even if this were to go south fast, at least Sehyoon would’ve been given a chance at his first real choice.

Yuchan kicks his feet, seemingly unconcerned with the potential downsides to this plan. “If he ends up upset, the council is the least of my worries.” A point.

"I’ve been playing in these halls since I could run, I know all their secrets. All the doors that lead outside that people have long forgotten. I can guide you out of here safely,” the Prince offers. The more he reveals, the more Sehyoon understands how serious the Prince was about this. This one shot for both of them to make their own choices. Their own mistakes. “There’s an inn that keeps a horse ready for me, and my mother’s sister left a country house when she passed, one that only I know about. You’d never have to worry about the council there, because they would never know where you went.”

“WIth the money I’ve left there, you would never have to worry about much.”

The option has been laid out. Yuchan came to him with not only a plan to escape, but the means as well. It was terrifying and promising, and Sehyoon, muling over the options, really thinking of the chance he has to escape and make a choice for himself for once… If this were to go wrong… He’d never be able to return. His family could be in danger, but, only if he were to go back to them. He’d never visit them again if it meant that he’d put their lives in danger. Thinking it over, it sounded like he’d already made up his mind, was just merely trying to excuse how badly he wants to run. To leave. Make something of himself for himself.

"What do you need me to do?" He asks, committed to the request. 

The Prince exhales, hand to his chest and shoulders sagging. ”I just need you to be safe. I don't want you to be hurt because I've decided to take a risk."

He shuffles through his robes, revealing a couple pieces of paper tied together. Sehyoon took the papers, looked over the first map and the halls he should take through the palace to get outside. “These are maps through the halls and I’ve marked how you can get out. There’s a travel cloak at the exit that should help you pass through the city unnoticed. Everything’s here.” Sehyoon can hear the quiver in his voice, revealing more just how nervous the Prince was. How, just like Sehyoon, understood the consequences and risks they were taking with this. And that neither could back out once they parted ways.

Sehyoon takes Yuchan’s hand in his, holds it carefully, and smiles. It’s not something that brings anymore confidence in either, and Sehyoon can feel the trembling in Yuchan’s fingers. But they still share the gaze. Good luck. 

Silently he tucks the maps in his robes, and then runs barefoot off to the first door marked. Leaving Yuchan alone in the steam to prepare him to take Sehyoon’s place before Byeongkwan. 

He’s light on his feet, walking mostly on his toes as he ducks and runs down halls. Halls that have people down he twists, adjusts his course to his best ability, just to get him outside. Every turn has his heart pounding in his throat. Every voice stops him in his tracks while he waits for them to pass. Until he’s outside, surrounded in the darkness of the evening, sun long sank below the mountains. 

The dirt is cold, the grass even colder. His toes sink in the soil as he runs as hard as his legs will carry him to the outer walls surrounding the palace grounds. He runs so hard he has to hold out his hands to stop him as he approaches the vines crawling up the walls. Winces as the sting of their stems and the rock of the wall sinks into his soft palms.

Once at the wall he runs alongside it, just as the map had been marked. His robes, dark blue and flowing around him, help him fade into the shadows, and creep his way to the back gates. 

They’re unguarded, likely due to the extra manpower needed inside the palace to look after Byeongkwan and himself. Not that it had worked. And Sehyoon slips out undetected. The first trial passed without a hiccup. Around the corner he finds the cloak Yuchan had told him about, and tucked inside of it was an envelope with a name Sehyoon didn’t recognize. 

Sehyoon wraps himself in the safety of the plain brown cloak, body mostly hidden and unrevealing the expensive robes he wore. 

The next map leads Sehyoon through the city, through crowds of people drinking and cheering in the streets. Shoats of cheer that the Dragon visiting them has been satisfied with the offerings of the council. No doubt there are planned festivities for the morning. Festivities Sehyoon will never get to witness. 

When they all wake up in the morning, and Sehyoon isn’t who is presented to the people, will they all be disappointed? Safe? Will it even take that long for them to notice he’s missing? Would Byeongkwan be mad enough to punish the city for his selfishness?

He maneuvers through the city unnoticed, and gets out to the kingdom’s main gates. They’re guarded, but none seem to pay him any mind, and Sehyoon releases the breath he held while passing them once safely outside the walls.

The inn is not far down the main road, lanterns lighting the outside while the inside is full and loud with life. Once inside, surrounded by bodies all talking and being merry, it begins to set in that Sehyoon’s escaped. Though not yet in safety’s grasp, he’s so close. They’ll have to find him first before they’ll be able to punish him. 

“Can I get you something?” The barmaid asks, dropping her hands on the counter in front of where Sehyoon has settled. 

He startles, but looks at her with a smile. “O-oh. I’m just looking for someone?”

The barmaid raises an eyebrow and scoffs. “I’m sure a lot of people are tonight, but we don’t offer those sortsa services in this Inn.” 

He pauses, takes in her expression to try and figure out what that means before speaking up, “I’m not sure what services you’re referring. I was told to ask for Eunseo?” He reaches into his cloak and pulls out the tied letter Yuchan had left with the cloak.

The woman takes the letter and then looks Sehyoon over once again. “I’m she. Are you from the palace?”

“Yes,” he offers with no additional explanation.

“Hm.. you look prettier than the usual attendants he sends.”

Sehyoon coughs, ears burning at the comment, and shakes his head. She just chuckles at his embarrassment before untying the letter. Silence falls between them as she reads, and Sehyoon shifts uncomfortably every time she looks up at him from the letter. He’s not sure what the Prince wrote, or what to expect, and her silence is not much of an answer. 

When she sets the paper down it’s torn into a few pieces and then tossed into a candle nearby. “You kids are going to make me grey early,” she sneers, and curls a finger at Sehyoon. “Come with me.”

He practically runs to her side and follows her through the kitchen and out to the stables behind the Inn. “You must be someone special,” she comments, filling empty air between them.

“Why do you say that?”

“Yuchan doesn’t let anyone go to this place. Not since it was given to him.”

“Really?” Sehyoon asks. Yuchan said it would be the safest place for him to be, but he wasn’t expecting it to be so secluded that no one but Yuchan would know where to even look. 

“How do you know him?” She followed up his question with one of her own. 

Sehyoon cleared his throat and muttered, “I don’t think.. I’m not sure it’d be safe for me to reveal.”

“I see.” It’s the last thing she says before gesturing at Sehyoon to stop. He waits as she approaches a man sitting on a bale of hay just outside stable doors. The two share a few whispers, she points to Sehyoon, and then they return to whispering. The man eyes him up and down, just as she had before, trying to read Sehyoon. Who he was, and why the Prince was sharing his secret place with him. But neither spoke to him. 

Once their conversation finishes she returns to Sehyoon and explains, “He’s gonna go set up a carriage. Wait for him. The ride is long, so get some sleep while you can.”

Quickly, Sehyoon reaches for her hands, taking them in his own much like he’d done with Yuchan a few hours prior. “Thank you. Is there anyway that I can repay you for your kindness and subtlety?” 

She laughs, giving Sehyoon’s hands a warm squeeze. “Whatever predicament you’re in right now is not going to allow you to be of any help to me, boy. But don’t you worry about that. I’ll speak to Yuchan about the dues later. For now, you travel safely. Speak to no one, and say nothing on your journey. No one needs to know your connections to us. And, once you arrive the main house may be locked. You can enter through the cellar. Yuchan keeps it unlocked.”

He thanks her again, rubbing his thumbs over her hands. She smiles at him with a fondness he didn’t expect. Why? How could she look at him with such softness without even knowing him, or what he’d done?

They travel through the night undisturbed. It doesn’t take long fonce they’re on the road for Sehyoon to close his eyes and fall into a deep sleep. The exhaustion from the week, and last day especially, pushed him into the arms of sleep far quicker than he was expecting. 

He wakes in the morning, long after the sun has risen, and far into the mountains. The carriage takes him through a small mountain village hidden far from anything and safely tucked away. Even the town he grew up in was double its size. 

The driver spoke up as they rode through the village, the first thing said between them on their trip. “If you need supplies, this’ll be where you come to. There is a doctor here as well, should you be in need of his services.”

But they didn’t stop in the village. The carriage still carries on another half hour - passing rice farms and orchards - before pulling up to a small estate surrounded with trees and greenery long overgrown. Likely, from Yuchan’s visits being few and far between. 

Sehyoon is left in front of the estate with just himself and the cloak still hanging on his shoulders. 

He wanders around the outside of the estate, trying first to see if perhaps the front door was unlocked. It was not. As he explores around the home he spots a small building - surely only big enough for two people to stand in comfortably - peaking into view. It was hidden between a cluster of trees. The cellar, perhaps?

Still, Sehyoon tries other avenues first - tugging on windows - before realizing the back door was open. “Thank you, Yuchan, for forgetting to lock up,” he sighs, finding relief in not having to crawl into the cellar in order to get inside. 

He wanders the house, checking rooms as he passes them and taking in everything there is to see. From the outside, it looks cozy and nothing special. It fit in nicely with the other farm houses littering the land. And, to an extent even inside looked somewhat modest. However the art on the walls, silk pillows, and fine fabrics draped over beds revealed more of the money put into the comforts of the home. Yuchan’s home. 

Sehyoon sits himself down on a bed and then slumps back onto the plush cushion mattress. It feels inviting. Welcoming. But reminds him that this will be his bed for the foreseeable future. 

“I wonder if he ended up okay,” he whispers to himself, knowing that if the council hadn’t discovered the swap by the time Sehyoon had left the city, there was no way he wasn’t caught by now. 

It hits him again that he’s stuck there for the time being. Alone and afraid of what was waiting for him outside the doors. Though he is scared, he tries to focus on making the situation. Perhaps in a few days, once he’s settled, he could start cleaning up the estate. Make a new life and identity for himself here where know one knows him to begin with. He could become someone with no expectations put on him and no needs from others forcing him into positions. Here Sehyoon could have a choice of what to make of himself.

He curls up around himself, wraps his arms around his middle, and closes his eyes. All he can do is put his faith and trust in the Prince. The exhaustion, though he’d slept most of the trip, was still enough to drag him to sleep again.

He’s not expecting company, and has only started getting comfortable enough to go outside. So when he comes inside from the back - hands and knees stained brown from the dirt he’d been kneeling in - and hears someone knock at the front dread settles into the pit of his stomach.

Walking on his toes, Sehyoon enters the front room with the hopes that maybe he could hear a voice - find out who is at his front door. However, despite his not answering the door, the visitor doesn’t wait. The door opens once he breaches the front room. 

Byeongkwan walks in. His eyes move side to side, taking in the decor, before settling in on Sehyoon. Those eyes blick slow and Sehyoon watches the red in them come to life with the glittering of scales just under his skin. 

Meeting him before, Sehyoon got to take in the beauty of the beast, but now, after Sehyoon’s escape and act of defiance, Byeongkwan’s presence only sets fear in his chest. His realization that he should begin begging for understanding and mercy sets in.

And then Yuchan slides in behind him. His smile is big and bright as the sun. “Sehyoon,” He calls out loudly, “We’ve come to get you.”

As the relief hits him, Sehyoon loses his feet and falls to his knees while his hands cling to the floor. He’s unable to hold back the immediate tears that hit him, and though he’s smiling and laughing, the sobs hit him hard. His shoulders shake as he hunches over. 

He hears movement in front of him, but his eyes stay locked to the floor. A gentle hand reaches out and cups his face. It's soft, warm. The touch brings him comfort as he looks up to the two men waiting for him. Byeongkwan’s on his knees seated right in front of Sehyoon, while Yuchan stands back. “Sehyoon,” Byeongkwan whispers. His smile reveals sharp teeth, and a pulse of red magic moves just under his skin. Thumbs reach out and wipe Sehyoon’s face of the thick tears still spilling from his eyes. “You did so good.”

Sehyoon reaches for Byeongkwan then, clings to his robes and melts into his chest. The dragon holds him close as he continues to cry and rubs slow circles into his back. When another Hand joins Byeongkwan’s, Sehyoon pulls his face from Byeongkwan’s chest and smiles at Yuchan - who’d joined them quietly on the floor. 

“C-can I come home now?” He asks through hiccups and slow breathing, looking to Yuchan for the answer.

The Prince nods, and says, “If that’s what you want?”

Byeongkwan speaks up next. His voice sounds rough where Sehyoon has his ear pressed to his chest. “Where is home for you, Sehyoon?”

Calmed down in the closeness and warmth of the dragon’s arms, his answer comes easier. “The estate, with my books…. And my family. I want to see my family.” They hadn’t seen each other since he’d been taken by the council. 

  
They make the first stop at his parent’s orchard. Wandering through trees of blossoms, Sheyoon leads the other two until they find his father carefully filling a basket of fruit. 

Sehyoon calls out to him. His father squints at the three of them, hesitating at first to believe his eyes. “Hi dad,” He chuckles. And then, dropping the fruit in his arms, he stumbles forward toward Sehyoon. 

The man drags him into a tight hug,holding the back of Sehyoon’s head to keep him close. Confused, but clearly thrilled, he asks, “What the hell are you doing here?”

He pulls back a little bit and gives his dad a firm pat on his back. “Long story.”

“Well, then who are these gentlemen with you? Why not startin’ there?”

“Let’s go say hi to mom first? And then I can kinda explain things to you both?”

His father ruffles his hair and then repeatedly nods. “That’s a good idea,” he says, and leads them all out of the orchards. 

When the main house comes into view his father calls out to the woman inside. She steps out to see what he’s calling her so frantically for, and seeing Sehyoon walking her way, drops the wooden bowl she’d been drying in her apron. His face is one she could never forget, even with years passed between seeing him. 

She stumbles down the steps of their home and runs as fast as she can - throws herself into his open arms and clings to him like if she held any looser he’d disappear. Just as desperate to feel the warmth of her embrace, Sehyoon buries his face in her shoulder. All she can do is repeat, “I missed you so much,” until she pulls him back by his cheeks and holds his face out in front of her. “Oh my goodness, you’ve grown up to be so handsome.”

“Mom,” Sehyoon muttered, red turning his ears warm.

“It’s true. I’m not gonna lie,” she insists. “What are you even doing here? We got a letter, you should be with the council.”

“I wanted to see you guys, since I finally can,” he offers, not wanting to delve too deep into what he’d been through and done.

Yuchan clears his throat, reminding Sehyoon of their presence. He pulls himself from his mother’s arms, and gestures back at Yuchan and Byeongkwan. “Oh, mom, dad. This is His Highness, the Prince and Byeongkwan-”

“A dragon,” he mother interrupts. It’s the first Sehyoon see’s Byeongkwan’s expression since their arrival. As she drops to her knees, showing the man a respect expected for him, Sehyoon watches as his eyes look on her in the same disinterested stare he regarded the councilmen when presenting Sehyoon. 

Confused, his father asks, “Wait, is she serious?” as he’s pulled down to his knees alongside his wife. 

Byeongkwan doesn’t stop either from bowing. Sehyoon watches him mull something over - can see how his eyes study both - before he says, “You may stand.”

As they do, he continues to speak. “Your son has found himself on the right side of change. His good nature and kindness despite circumstances forced upon him-” his parents wince and shuffle their feet, “- has impressed me. And, in turn, if he so wishes, we would like to request he join us back in the Kingdom to aid within the council.” 

Sehyoon looks between Byeongkwan and Yuchan. The council? They wanted him to join those people in leading the country? Yuchan moves quickly and takes a hold of his hands. “If you’d like. Things will be different now, and it’s only because of your bravery, Sehyoon. But this is your choice, and only yours to make.”

Another hand reaches out to rub at his cheeks. Magic burns in Byeongkwan’s touch. “I…. I think…” his voice trails off. 

“Take your time. This choice is yours. You can make it in your own time as well. But, for now, shall we go home?” Byeongkwan comforts. Hearing him say home… It felt like he was being offered a home with them…

Briefly, Sehyoon looks over his shoulder and back to his parents. Both are looking at him with pride on their faces. All he’d ever wanted from them was that look. All he knew to look forward to was their pride. Squeezing his hands was an offer of more. More to look forward too and grow into. He looks at Yuchan who squeezes them a little tighter. The Prince looked nervous.

Sehyoon looked back to his parents once more and said, “I’ll visit more now.” 

“We’d love that,” his mother cooes, touching his shoulder lightly. 

And then the three leave just as quickly as they’d come. 

To be able to sleep in his own bed feels like a blessing. A week without it, and spending most of that time not knowing if he’ll ever return, leaves him sinking into it as soon as he gets home. 

For the first couple days of his return, Sehyoon is left alone and given time just to sink his nose back into a book and not worry about the world around him needing him for something. 

Yuchan’s visits start on the third day. They’re always brief and start with him giving Sehyoon a gift of a book, food, or flowers. He asks if Sehyoon needs anything, wants anything. At first Sehyoon wonders if he’s trying to increase the chances of him saying yes to their offer, but as he gets to know Yuchan in this short check-ins he sees the Prince is genuine. There’s a lingering of guilt for what Sehyoon was put through, but Sehyoon can see he wants to make sure he’s cared for truly. 

Byeongkwan takes even longer to knock at Sehyoon’s door and requests to spend time with him. The dragon lingers longer with each visit, and Sehyoon finds he doesn’t want the dragon to leave most days.

At first they settle down in Sehyoon’s courtyard, and Byeongkwan compliments his garden while Sehyoon tends the plants. Being able to offer Byeongkwan a peach immediately feels like an accomplishment. The dragon praises him for how well the fruit tastes after sinking sharp teeth into the soft skin. 

The next time they settle into the courtyard for a visit Byeongkwan has with him a basket of sprouts and asks if Sehyoon would be willing to plant these in his garden with him.

“Does His Highness know you’ve kidnapped plants from the palace grounds?” Sehyoon asks while they dig into tended soil with their bare hands. 

Beongkwan laughs - his skin lighting up with pinks and oranges just under his skin. Watching the uncontrolled display has Sehyoon holding his breath until Byeongkwan looks at him with a wide grin. “He knows, and while I believe his groundskeeper surely minded sharing some of his hard worked seedlings, Yuchan didn’t.” 

While they rehome the seedlings, Sehyoon asks about the offer. “Were you guys serious?”

“About what, Sehyoon?”

“The council position.”

“Completely,” Byeongkwan says. He touches one of the seedlings little leaves and Sehyoon swears he can see the green turn red for half a second. “The council was disbanded after Yuchan came to me, instead of you. He’d like to rebuild it, with more trustworthy people, and those who have a genuine interest in the wellbeing of his people. I can’t imagine anyone more suited to the position than you.” 

It seems too good to be true - to have gone against everything he’d been raised for, turning the kingdom's plans upside down and all of them in danger, and still he was being offered a position at the Council table. However, this time it was his choice. It could only be his choice. 

“I need a little more time still, I think.”

“Of course. Like we said, take as much time as you need.”

Byeongkwan never brings the position up when he visits, and Sehyoon never feels like he’s pressured to decide on an answer. Instead the dragon asks him about his life, his interests. They tend to the garden together, and on particularly quiet days boys curl up beside each other while Sehyoon reads him an excerpt from whatever book he’s reading at the time. Mixed in Sehyoon asks as many questions about Byeongkwan and his kin as he feels is appropriate. Byeongkwan never shies from an answer, and never seems put out by the questions. 

The next time Sehyoon brings up the council it's with a jitter under his skin. He could see things had changed even from outside the Palace walls. Yuchan makes more regular appearances to his people, and each time the people are even more captivated by their Prince. The people love him unconditionally, and this time Sehyoon can see Yuchan feels he’s finally begun to earn that love.

So he brings it up while Byeongkwan is shrugging off his cloak and hanging it by the front door. “I’d like to accept the offer, if it still stands.”

He watches Byeongkwan hold down his excitement, unable to keep the colours of his scales from thrumming with energy. “Of course. Yes, the offer is still open to you, my dear.”

A smile spreads on Sehyoon’s face at the confirmation. “Then, my answer is yes.”

“Yuchan will be thrilled to hear that, you’ll be such an amazing addition,” Byeongkwan cooes, reaching out to cup Sehyoon’s cheeks in his hands. “But, as much as I love this news, I was looking forward to some and reading that poem you told me about. Business can come later?”

Sehyoon looks down at him and nods. “Tea, yes. Let me go get the kettle.”

The two settle in next to each other in a nest of pillows and blankets in one of Sehyoon’s studies. Though Byeongkwan is smaller than him, Sehyoon finds it easy to tuck himself under the dragon’s arm and read. He’s always warm and makes the hair on Sehyoon’s neck stand up when they touch. Each touch shared makes it easier the next time for Sehyoon to soak in the energy he feels just being near the dragon. 

“This one,” Byeongkwan begins explaining once Sehyoon’s finished reading, “it seems like it is about a river Guardian.”

“Right, but I always wondered if…”

“It meant more?” Sehyoon looks up and nods. “Well… Think of the metaphor of the river, and how it flows, and how the dragon sinks into it… Like a body.”

Red blooms on Sehyoon’s cheeks and tips his ears while Byeongkwan chuckles at his cheeky explanation. “You’ve read things like this before, yes?”

Sehyoon looks at the scroll and squeezes the parchment. “I have… but most seemed….”

“Unreal?” Byeongkwan asks. His voice comes out softer than usual. There is something there, Sehyoon can hear it, but he’s not sure what it means.

“Yeah.”

“I’m told that’s often how it feels.” There’s a rumble in that sentence. A rumble Sehyoon’s not expecting to feel in his shoulder tucked in beside the dragon. He squeaks and looks anywhere but at Byeongkwan. The dragon chuckles, sliding his hand from Sehyoon’s shoulder down his back. “Have I embarrassed you?”

Quietly, and still avoiding eye contact, Sehyoon answers, “P-perhaps.”

“Well, sure you have more questions now.”

He has one. One that has been lingering in the back of his mind since Yuchan and Byeongkwan had come for him at Yuchan’s estate. “I’ve seen the marks on His Highness. Are those your doing?”

“Yes.”

“If… If I had been the one that came to your room that night… would you have taken me as your lover?”

“If that would have been your wish, I would have happily had you.”

Sehyoon quiets at this knowledge. He’s unsure if he regrets his question or is grateful to know that maybe he wouldn’t have ended up eaten that evening… But both linger in his mind as the silence grows between them. With great care, Byeongkwan quickly tucks his head in the crook os Sehyoon’s neck before nosing at the back of his ear. 

Byeongkwan’s voice rumbles again when he speaks through a slow breath out against Sehyoon’s ear. “If you were to ask now, I would say the same thing as well.”

Chills run up his spine, and desperately Sehyoon’s body wants to offer himself. To request what he could have had weeks ago. But, he holds himself back on one more question. “What about Yuchan?”

Byeongkwan pulls back and says, “We’ve discussed it already. Should you wish also to be mine, it would not interfere with my relationship with Yuchan. And, I would happily accept you.”

The knowledge settles his nerves for a moment, but then embarrassment and worries creep up on him. Byeongkwan seems to pick up on the shift, and asks, “So, would you like me to kiss you Sehni?” And, more than anything Sehyoon wants to say yes and not let his irrational worries bring him from this moment. 

“Yes,” he whispers, licking his lips quickly.

He moves fast, straddling Sehyoon and taking his cheeks in his hands. His lips are hot, soft, plush, and Sehyoon’s mind is running faster than his body. Carefully he leans back and holds himself up on his elbows while Byeongkwan sinks against his torso.

It’s his first kiss. If Byeongkwan knows he doesn’t bring attention to Sehyoon’s lack of skill, he just smiles as the human carelessly moves his lips in slow kisses against him. Learning how to kiss another person was nerve wracking. However, Byeongkwan seems unphased by the pace, and when things slow, Sehyoon not sure how to progress, he takes things into his own hands.

The dragon’s fingers travel from where they’re holding Sehyoon’s jaw, up his chin and press to his lips - replacing Byeongkwan’s before the man says, “Open,” and Sehyoon does exactly that. 

His thumb dips behind his bottom teeth, hooking onto them, and opens his mouth before sliding his tongue in after. The split in his forked tongue feels odd. Both sides of the soft muscle move in different ways over Sehyoon’s tongue, tasting him and spreading the Dragon’s flavor into Sehyoon’s mouth. When Byeongkwan’s thumb leaves his mouth, his tongue moves just the same. Urges Sehyoon to be brave. The human deepens the kiss and copies the action, pushing his tongue into Byeongkwan’s. The bravery is rewarded with a quick bite to his tongue and suck of muscle. A moan spills from Sehyoon’s lips.

When Byeongkwan releases him, he sits upright and rocks his hips back down on Sehyoon’s groin - the soft plush of his ass feels heavenly against his stiffened cock. “Was I your first kiss?” the dragon asks. When Sehyoon nods, cheeks red with pleased embarrassment, Byeongkwan’s eyes squint at him and he smirks. The dragon’s fingers grip tightly at his waist and he grumbles, “How sweet.”

Sehyoon’s read plenty of a dragon’s possessive nature, but feeling that possessive streak sink into the soft of his hips through Byeongkwan’s tight grip is different. It takes him a moment to catch up and remember to breathe. A noise leaves Byeongkwan he’s not expecting - a deep low rumble from his chest - and Sehyoon’s cock twitches against his ass. Being wanted so deeply… It has Sehyoon’s mind screaming for more. 

He lays back completely, raises his arms above his head, and places himself on display for the dragon. Byeongkwan’s fingers are swift as they move to untie the sash around his waist holding his robes closed. “Then I’m your first in all things,” he concludes. 

Sehyoon whines, “Yes.”

Byeongkwan’s grin looks almost smug, clearly thrilled with the situation. “Have you explored yourself on your own, Sehni?” He crawls from Sehyoon’s lap between his legs. The dragon’s hands are slow as they dip under the fabric of his closed robes and touch the warmth of Sehyoon’s skin. 

“Yes,” he gasps, closing his eyes. 

The hands open his robes just above his hips, exposing Sehyoon’s legs and cock to the open air between them. The kisses placed on his hip, just above where his cockhead sits leaking, are soft. His lips are so soft. Would he wrap them around his cock? Sehyoon’s hips rise and Byeongkwan holds them back down with a strong grip. “Did you dream of men? Women?”

“You.”

The rumbling returns, and Sehyoon looks down to see red dancing under his skin. “Dragons,” Byeongkwan hums against his skin. Sehyoon nods. 

Teeth come next, sharp and oh so gentle as they scrape and nip at the skin of his hips and pelvis. Little red marks are left in the places Byeongkwan’s mouth latches on and leaves hickies littering his hips. 

“W-will you touch me?” Sehyoon asks soft - shy. The palm of Byeongkwan’s hand ghosts over his cock and Sehyoon’s hips jerk to chase the touch. Looking for more. 

Byeongkwan’s voice is just as soft, but far more calm. “Of course.” 

Precum slicks the tip as his fingers wrap loosely around him. The first few strokes are teasingly light, but all Sehyoon can focus on is the feeling. Though his touch is light, his skin feels electrifying. Like the magic at Byeongkwan’s fingertips is seeping into his skin and making his cock more sensitive to each little stroke to its head. 

It’s not long before he’s gasping, hips rocking and nails clawing at the wood floor. Byeongkwan’s eyes watch every little movement. They catch everything, and Sehyoon feels like they’re taking him apart, bit by bit. Looking at any signs his body shows of what he likes, what he doesn’t like. 

And then the hand is gone. Lays his cock gently back down against the curve of his hip. Byeongkwan watches as Sehyoon’s hips raise to chase after his touch, and smiles at the frustrated whine that leaves him. 

“Where is your oil?” Byeongkwan asks calmly. Sehyoon huffs and whines. “Baby, I can’t do more without that oil.”

“Mm… Bedroom… In the chest next to my bed,” he explains. He wants to touch himself now, but refrains in case Byeongkwan scolds him for it.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispers, crawling over Sehyoon. He leaves him with a brief kiss before walking out of the room. 

Sehyoon sits up and slowly strokes himself while waits, eager for the other’s return. When Byeongkwan walks back he shrugs his robes off his shoulders, revealing a pale toned stomach. His abs have clear definition and Sehyoon gawks at the way his hips clearly dip into a V still hidden by the robes hanging tied around his hips. 

Byeongkwan sits down away from Sehyoon and gets comfortable with some pillows stacked up behind him. When the dragon curls a finger to him - ushering him to Byeongkwan’s new spot - Sehyoon is quick to crawl over to the other man. 

“That’s it, baby,” Byeongkwan purrs. Sehyoon is guided into straddling the dragon while Byeongkwan takes hold of his freed robes and pulls them off his shoulders. It leaves Sehyoon naked, exposed completely to the air and Byeongkwan’s wandering eyes. He’s not as cut as the dragon, but has a soft thickness to him. And he’s still physically bigger than Byeongkwan, so standing on his knees over him leaves him looking further down at him than usual.

The dragon seems to not mind at all looking up at Sehyoon, and licks his lips with his split tongue. 

“Will you allow me the pleasure of fingering you open, Sehni?” he asks with his hands holding the little bottle of oil carefully. He doesn’t even have to think about his answer, eager to feel Byeongkwan inside him. Still, he’s not even sure what to expect of the dragon’s cock. 

Oil spreads over his finger tips, claws filed down shorter on one hand than the other. Precautions? Sehyoon doesn’t linger long on the observation when Byeongkwan dips his hand between Sehyoon’s legs and spreads two fingers over his hole. He leans forward, balancing himself using Byeongkwan’s shoulders. The jut back of his hips spreads him more and gives Byeongkwan space for a third to rub at his puckering hole. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Byeongkwan compliments before sinking the first digit easily into Sehyoon’s warmth. He’s familiar with the stretch, and drops his eyes from looking directly at Byeongkwan when he’s quick to rock back on the digit. More. He can take another. 

And when the second comes, Sehyoon signs. His fingers card through the hard on the back of Byeongkwan’s neck as his elbows hold him on Byeongkwan’s shoulders. Though Sehyoon’s holding most of his weight on Byeongkwan, the dragon seems completely unphased. Like his weight means nothing. He just focuses on dragging his fingers back and forth inside Sehyoon to find the spot that’ll have him crying in his arms. And when Sehyoon gasps with a slight clench around the digits Byeongkwan knows he’s found it. 

Prostate found, and his fingers working magic in his thrusts, Byeongkwan leans forward towards Sehyoon’s chest. mouth latches onto a nipple quickly, and his free hand reaches up and cups Sehyoon’s other pec. The claws on those fingers sink slowly into his flesh, but never deep enough to break skin, as he massages the man’s tit. 

Sehyoon’s unable to hold back his moans then. His voice hikes and he arches into the warm twist of the forked tongue flicking his nipple with practiced ease. It feels so new and so sensitive. Every new touch to his tits has his cock twitching with interest. 

Urged on by the whimpers, Byeongkwan sinks a third finger into sehyoon and holds them still. Sehyoon rocks back on those fingertips, but to his surprise as he rocks himself back, Byeongkwan bites onto a nipple. The motion tugs it and Sehyoon - entirely unfamiliar with the attention Byeongkwan was paying to his chest - lets out a loud cry. His fingers pull tightly at his hair, and Byeongkwan sinks his fingers in deeper to rub at Sehyoon’s prostate. 

“A-ahaa-W-wait!” Sehyoon squeals. His body is torn on where to move, but his cock jerks between them - warning Byeongkwan of what was about to happen.

The dragon purrs and releases his nipple, only to rub the other between his fingers. “Gonna cum already?” Sehyoon’s ears are just as red as his face as he looks down at Byeongkwan smiling up at him. He can only nodd, but Byeongkwan accepts. “Then cum, baby.” And his fingers move again. 

Sehyoon’s orgasm doesn’t take long to spill down Byeongkwan’s collar and down his torso - cuming completely untouched. The fingers in him slide out slow and the mouth on his pec places a light kiss over his nipple. Though he’s cum, Sehyoon still craves more, and drops down to sit on Byeongkwan’s thighs. 

His hands reach for the dragon’s groin, covered still by his loose robe. Before he can get a firm grip around Byeongkwan, the dragon grabs his wrist. “Before that… Tell me, was that the first your nipples had been played with?”

“O-oh.. um.. Yeah,” Sehyoon admits with a blush and a chuckle. “I never thought to.. touch them before.”

“You’re so sensitive there, if we give them a little attention while I'm in you as well…” Byeongkwan raises an eyebrow, hoping Sehyoon will pick up on his question. Had Sehyoon liked it? And, would he like more of it? The sentiment is warming. The trust Sehyoon’s put into Byeongkwans hands - the vulnerability of baring himself to the dragon completely - feels desired. Like Byeongkwan wants him to feel good more than anything. Like he wants to take Sehyoon apart piece by piece if it meant he could earn all of Sehyoon’s trust.

Already though Byeongkwan has it. “I’d like that, please.”

Perking up at Sehyoon’s approval, Byeongkwan reaches for the norigae hanging from his own belted sash and cuts two strings and two bells from the accessory. He makes a loop and a knot on one end and then ties the bells to the other ends of each string. Two little lassos. “Do you trust me?” he asks again, and Sehyoon nods quickly. 

Byeongkwan takes a nipple between his fingers - pinches it gently first, and then roughly twists and pulls it. Sehyoons’ body reacts instantly with a wail and the jump of his spent dick. Once hard, Byeongkwan quickly tightens the looped string around the erect bud. When he releases it the bell jingles as it hits Sehyoon’s chest. The second nipple is just as responsive to Byeongkwan’s assault, and by the time the second is hanging, Sehyoon’s hard again. 

“You’re so sensitive, I wonder if I could get you off with just your nipples?” Byeongkwan teases. 

Red lights up Sehyoon’s face when he looks down and sees the bells hanging from his chest. “You don’t need to be embarrassed. Once you’re sitting on my cock these will ring real nice.” Sitting on his cock…. Sehyoon looks right down at his groin again and Byeongkwan laughs. 

His hands tuck under his loosely covering robes. They bunch at his groin, making it hard for Sehyoon to make out what lumps were fabric and what was Byeongkwan…. Until the reveal of Byeongkwan’s cocks shows Sehyoon both bunched spots of silk were Byeongkwan. 

He’s captivated, reaches out to wrap his hands around both cockheads and gives them a curious squeeze. Oil.. As an afterthought, Sehyoon pours the oil on his hands and gives both firmer strokes. The glide is smooth even over the ridges of the cocks.

“Hemipenes…”

“W-we’re-” Byeongkwan groans as Sehyoon’s hands curiously stroke him, “-all a little bit different. Depending on area ‘n species."

They’re thick. One was going to be plenty of stretch for Sehyoon. And two? “I don’t think I’ll be able to do both.”

Byeongkwan laughs at Sehyoon’s honesty and takes a hold of him by his hips. “Oh, baby, I don’t expect you too. If you wanted we could work up to that over time. but, for now… I’d really love to be inside you.” Sehyoon’s dragged back up Byeongkwan’s lap and releases his cocks.

The bells on his chest jingle as Byeongkwan shows him how to sit and lines himself up with Sehyoon. “Take it slow,” he guides. 

Sinking over the first cock, the second settles upright and next to Sehyoon’s cock. The deeper Byeongkwan settles, the fuller Sehyoon feels, until he’s sitting flush with Byeongkwan. It’s a stretch, even after three fingers, and he sits still, breathing slowly while his body adjusts. 

A hand moves from Sehyoon’s hip to his groin, and with a light pressure, pushes down on his pelvis. His eyes snap shut as the rubbing pressure rubs his insides right against Byeongkwan’s cock. No doubt Byeongkwn can feel himself - can feel how he fills Sehyoon’s guts. 

“C-can I-” Sehyoon gasps, rolling his hips in a little circle to feel more of that pressure. 

“Move?” Byeongkwan finishes the question, and Sehyoon nods rapidly. “Pleease.” His voice sounds just as strung out as Sehyoon felt, though he looks so much more together. 

His hips move slow at first, raising and then sinking back down. He repeats this carefully twice - three times - and on the forth, Byeongkwan grip on his hip drags him down harder. The bells ring, and tug lightly at his nipples as they fall. 

Shaky hands reach out for Byeongkwan’s shoulder - grabs his shoulders for support as he picks up his pace in bouncing. The dragon’s hands move up Sehyoon’s torso - gives each string a little tug and grins. Jingle. Jiingle. Sehyoon’s eyes shut and he leans back - chest arching into the pulls at his nipples. It’s so light, but the mix of the bells and the sensitivity has Sehyoon’s eyes pricking with tears. 

So much. It all feels like so much, and still Byeongkwan’s hands move again over his body. Down his stomach, pushing his hips to sit at a tilted angle when he drops down on Byeongkwan. The tears spill over with his next wail. The change forces the cock in him to press a little further forward. It rubs his prostate without any work, and when Byeongkwan purrs, “Look,” Sehyoon’s teary eyes sees how the head of Byeongkwan’s cok bulges his pelvis out slightly. 

“Fuck,” he whines, voice soft and high. He snaps his eyes shut, it's the only way to keep himself from continuing to cry from the sensitivity and pleasure. He can’t help it, Can’t help how overwhelmed all of this feels. The stretch.. The grinding against his walls. The sudden jerk the bells bring with every drop. It’s sto much. 

Byeongkwan starts to sound just as disheveled, and his hand wrapping around the heads of both their coks, rubbing the soft flesh together, makes both of them cry out together. Sehyoon can’t take it anymore, but he barely has it in him to warn him. 

Instead he slouches forward, clinging to Byeongkwan. His nails dig into his shoulder blades and drag up the pale flesh. In his ear Byeongkwan cries out, “Sh-shit, shit, shit, Sehni.” His hand squeezes the cocks tighter. And then Sehyoon goes rigid, stilling on the cock filling him, and jerking his hips ever so slightly as he cums again. Byeongkwan follows, cum mixing with Sehyoon’s on his stomach, and pumping inside him. 

When both have caught their breath Sehyoon slumps against him completely worn out. He can feel his body beginning to ache in new places, and other spots grow more sensitive with each passing second. He wants to curl up and just sleep the feelings away - curled up and warm in Byeongkwan’s arms. 

Byeongkwan has other ideas though. He gives Sehyoon’s back a light pat before whispering, “I should clean you up.”

WIth a little grunt of protest, Sehyoon whined, “Does it involve me moving?”

“Unfortunately, that is the most efficient way.” He waits a few more seconds before sitting up right again. 

The bells jingle as Byeongkwan removes them from his nipples- careful to not pull too hard as he loosens the knots. Next, with ease, he slips his hands behind Sehyoon’s back and lifts him with a strength Sehyoon was no longer surprised by. Switches their positions so Sehyoon was laying out on his back before slowly pulling out. He whines at the loss, but relaxes again when Byeongkwan leans over to press a kiss to his tear stained cheeks. 

“I’ll be right back.”

Sehyoon nearly falls asleep while he waits. The warmth of the damp cloth feels good against his tender skin. Once clean of their cum, Byeongkwan takes the oil and rubs it in slow circles around each of Sehyoon’s red and tender nipples.

All of it, the softness of Byeongkwan, the warmth of his care, fills Sehyoon with something he’d not felt before. When Byeongkwan offers to wrap Sehyoon in a blanket and pillows, Sehyoon looks at the dragon with sleep hazing his eyes.

He repeats, “Do you want me to get you something to lay here with? Or should I carry you to your bed?”

“Here’s fine.. Just… Lay with me?”

Byeongkwan’s smile spreads. He leans down and kisses Sehyoon’s forehead and whispers. “For as long as you’d like, I’ll lay happily with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always you can find me on twitter at Omegatits and watch me mostly ramble about the boys with some wips and crazy ideas thrown in between! 
> 
> Kudos and comments are welcome! I'd love to see what you think and what you're excited for 🙂🙂

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Same Path (Under The Moonlit Sky)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26419126) by [elutherya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elutherya/pseuds/elutherya)




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